VIDEOS: Solemn Salutes To Fallen Firefighters In Arizona

Holding on to each other: Firefighters hug during a memorial service Monday in Prescott, Ariz. They were honoring 19 others who died Sunday.

Michael Nelson
/ EPA/LANDOV

Originally published on July 2, 2013 7:43 am

The simple, sobering sound of a bell ringing as each firefighter's name and age was read brings home the sad story from Prescott, Ariz., where 19 Granite Mountain Hotshots who died Sunday fighting a wildfire were remembered Monday.

As NPR's Nathan Rott reported from Prescott on Morning Edition, the scale of the tragedy is starting to sink in even as the fire continues to burn. "News that the Granite Mountain Hot Shots were overtaken by flames has put the town in a trance," he says.

Meanwhile, Nathan adds, "the fire that claimed those 19 lives is still burning uncontrolled and uncontained, about 30 miles southwest of town. More than 400 firefighters — including a few other 'hotshot' crews — are still battling the blaze, which has now charred over 50 structures and 8,000 acres."